Broken Top Loop

[Sugar Pine]

Looped around Broken Top, starting at Tam McArthur trailhead, hiking clockwise, and exiting Little Three Creek trailhead (across the road). It was one of the most spectacular hikes I've done in Oregon. We camped at Three Creek Lake campground the night before, so we had plenty of time to soak in the views. It was cloudy on Monday, we could see it raining in the distance, but we only felt a few sprinkles in the early evening. It was hazy/smokey on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Our route was somewhat different from the Field Guide as we went up the ridge alongside Broken Hand and dropped down to No Name Lake. At Broken Hand there appear to be a few trail options. We passed one, maybe two junctions which go south of Broken Hand, but these appear to miss the ridge and great views between Broken Hand and Broken Top. On the north side, a hiker in front of us hiked on a narrow trail just below the vertical walls of Broken Hand. We followed another path, which descended a bit and then met up with the other north trail on the rim past Broken Top.

Views from Tam McArthur ridge and between Broken Hand and Broken Top were amazing.

Official end of Tam McArthur, although the trail continues to be in very good condition after this point.

Broken Top and South Sister from Tam Arthur rim

North side of Broken Hand

Broken Top and No Name Lake

View North to Middle and North Sister and Mt Washington

Trail between Broken Hand and Broken Top

Viewpoint

Bend Glacier

The trail south from Broken Top followed a stream and passed by Ball Butte with views of Mt Bachelor.

Our loop continued west, where we found water in Crater Creek ditch and Little Crater Creek. We camped near the springs just west of Crater Creek.

The following day we backpacked from our camp to Golden Lake, passing by Green Lakes.

Green Lake and South Sister

Golden Lake

From Golden Lake, we day hiked up a good trail toward Broken Top and Bend Glacier. The trail follows a pretty stream to two small lakes.

Trail from Golden Lake follows this stream

One of the lakes above Golden Lake

We then continued to scramble up a couple of ridges and then a scree-moraine to get a better view of Bend Glacier, but never made it to a good viewpoint. More scree scrambling would be required. We did find another small, very cold lake.


The smoke was worse on our final day and the views were obscured. Nice wildflowers through the burn area, but overall this section of the hike was not particularly rewarding.

We met very few backpackers. On day 1, only one heading north to Broken Top as we hiked south. More at Green Lakes, although not all the campsites were full as we hiked through. One other person camped at Golden Lake. A volunteer was checking for permits when we got back to our car at Tam McArthur Trailhead. Parking at Tam McArthur is just along the road. Little Three Creek Lake trailhead has better parking.

Trip stats:
Tam McArthur Rim TH to Crater Creek Springs: 9 miles, 1800 ft elevation gain
Crater Creek Springs to Golden Lake: 7.2 miles, 670 ft elevation gain
Golden Lake to Tam McArthur: 8.1 miles, 882 ft

[keithcomess]

Thanks for the report! Were you out for 2 days?

Keith

[Sugar Pine]

Three days and two nights. Would be easy to do in two days, but we wanted to take our time gawking at the views and potentially add in day hikes (only did one).

[retired jerry]

thanks for the report, I might head up there somewhere

I too am in no hurry. Extra day is good to check things out.

[keithcomess]

Is the trail head you used near Camp Sherman?

Thanks in advance,
Keith

[Sugar Pine]

The Tam McArthur trailhead is south of Sisters.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/deschut ... ecid=71841
https://www.oregonhikers.org/field_guid ... _Trailhead

[keithcomess]

Thanks for the link to the trail head!